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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PROSPECTUS 

±eac3, 


OF 


THE  GENEVA 

GREY    COPPER,    SILVER    AND    GOLD 

MINING   AND    MILLING 

COMPANY, 

OIF    OOLOI2.A.IDO. 

K.  O.  Polkinhorn,  Printer,  Washington,  D.  O. 


PROSPECTUS 

S'CK.  1BS3 


OF 


The  Geneva  Grey 

ComieUilferaiiiefllilMiiiiiaiiiMilliiCo, 


OF 


COLORADO. 


This  Company  is  formed  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  and 
working  valuable  mineral  properties  situated  at  the  head 
of  Geneva  Valley. 

Geneva  Valley  is  sixty-four  miles  from  Denver,  and  opens 
on  to  the  north  fork  of  the  Platte  Valley  at  Grant,  where 
there  is  a  station  on  the  Denver  and  South  Park  Eailway. 

The  property  is  composed  of  a  number  of  mines  and  min- 
ing claims,  including  the  well-known  Revenue  lode,  which 
crops  out  and  crosses  the  continental  water-shed.  This 
mine,  together  with  the  group  of  lodes  below  it  on  the  At- 
lantic slope,  came  into  the  possession  of  the  parties  owning 
the  Britannic  tunnel,  and  those  owning  the  Leviathan  tun- 
nel, several  years  ago.  Acting  under  the  advice  of  mining 
experts,  it  was  decided  to  suspend  active  working  from  the 
surface,  and  to  prove  the  lodes  by  tunneling  from  the  moun- 
tain side.  Accordingly,  the  two  tunnels  were  started  about 
one  thousand  feet  apart.  The  Britannic  tunnel  cutting,  in 
its  course  of  1,025  feet,  no  fewer  than  fourteen  silver  and 
gold-bearing  lodes,  and  the  Leviathan  intersecting,  in  800 
feet,  13  lodes,  which  are  undoubtedly  extensions  of  the 
former  ;  together  they  may  well  be  called  the  Geneva  Group. 
Little  more  has  been  done  upon  these  lodes  than  to  prove 


their  value,  but  sufficient  has  been  accomplished  to  dem- 
onstrate their  vast  paying  capacity  when  fully  devel- 
oped, and  also  to  continue  and  increase  their  present  ore 
producing  capacity. 

The  surface  claims  are  ihe  Ee venue,  Baltic,  Celtic,  Repub- 
lic, Oceanic,  Gaelic,  Adriatic,  Murphy,  Hugh  Kelley,  Best, 
Dudley,  Blue,  Little  Eailroad  and  the  Kelly  &  Dudley 
lodes,  for  all  of  which  United  States  Government  patents 
have  been  issued,  also  the  Jurassic,  Japanic,  Occidental  and 
Graphic — all  secured  in  accordance  with  the  United  States 
mining  laws,  and  embracing  with  the  tunnel  rights  an 
immense  mining  territory. 

Included  in  the  purchase  is  the  property  embraced  in  the 
following  inventory : 

This  Company  takes  all  the  ore  broken  at  the  mines, 
estimated  at  300  tons,  and  slag  at  the  smelting  works,  about 
300  tons. 

.The  mines  have  been  reported  upon  by  several  mining 
engineers  and  experts,  under  whose  advice  the  improve- 
ments and  developments  have  been  made.  Formerly,  Mr. 
E.  0.  Old,  M.  E.,  of  Georgetown,  was  employed  by  the  then 
owners  of  the  Eevenue,  and  in  a  careful  report  gave  an  un- 
hesitating opinion  of  the  great  value  of  this  mine  and  of 
the  merits  of  the  other  claims.  Later,  Mr.  Thos.  Belt,  F. 
G.  S.  M.  E.,  of  London,  England,  examined  the  Eevenue 
and  other  property  as  far  as  then  opened,  and  advised  push- 
ing  the  Britannic  tunnel  in  preference  to  working  from  the 
surface,  concluding  his  report  as  follows:  "Altogether,  I 
consider  the  Eevenue  mine,  both  as  regards  its  production 
of  valuable  ore  and  the  great  advantages  the  district  offers 
for  the  erection  ot  reduction  works,  the  most  promising  un- 
dertaking that  came  under  my  notice  in  Colorado,  and  am 
satisfied  that  if  judiciously  managed  will  yield  enormous 
profits." 

The  lodes  in  the  Leviathan  tunnel  have  not  been  ex- 
plored as  much  as  they  have  been  in  the  Britannic,  but  as 
in  most  instances  they  will  be  found  to  be  continuations  of 
the  veins  cut  in  the  Britannic  tunnel,  the  report  and  de- 
scriptions apply  generally  to  the  whole  property.  A  record 
is  attached  of  some  mill  runs  and  samples. 

The  extensive  forests  in  Geneva  Valley  are  becoming 
valuable,  and  are  practically  under  the  control  of  this  com- 


pany.  Lumber  is  being  shipped  to  Denver  from  a  point 
twelve  miles  below  Grant,  and  accessible  timber  is  becom- 
ing daily  more  scarce.  Rough  Colorado  lumber  is  worth 
in  Denver  $22.50  per  1,000  feet  ;  the  freight  from  Grant 
would  be  about  four  dollars  per  thousand,  leaving  a  wide 
margin  for  profit. 

Taken  altogether,  the  combined  interests  present  one  of 
the  most  perfect  and  extensive  mining  properties  in  Amer- 
ica. Some  of  the  directors  visited  the  mines  in  October, 
and  have  every  confidence,  that  after  carrying  out  some  fur- 
ther improvements,  that  the  mines  will  be  at  once  placed 
in  a  paying  condition.  They  satisfied  themselves  thoroughly 
in  respect  to  titles,  and  the  correctness  of  the  extracts  and 
reports  attached  hereto,  and  have  no  hesitation  in  recom- 
mending the  enterprise  as  one  of  the  soundest  and  most 
promising  mining  investments  in  Colorado. 

According  to  purchase  this  company  takes  possession  of 
the  properties  free  from  all  debts  or  other  encumbrances. 

DENVER,  COLO.,  October  %3d,  1883. 

General  B.  B.  SIMMS, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  submit  the  following  as  an  inventory 
of  buildings  and  personal  property  of  the  Geneva  Grey  Cop- 
per, Gold  and  Silver  Mining  and  Milling  Company: 

At  Grant — 

One  dwelling-house  36X^0,  second  story  16X20, 

One  chair. 

One  cook  stove. 

One  parlor  stove. 

One  wardrobe. 

Two  tables. 

Two  carpets. 

One  wash  stand. 

One  bureau.  , 

One  log  barn  20X30. 

At  Asterville — 

One  smelter  building  40x40. 

One  matte  furnace  and  stack.    Capacity  12  tons  per  day . 

One  calcining  building  40x45. 


One  reverberatory  furnace  20X40,      Capacity  25  ton& 

per  day. 

One  crushing  room  40x50. 
One  Blake  crusher,  ten  inch. 
Two  setts  Cornish  rolls. 
One  screen. 

One  set  of  elevator  boxes. 
One  Howe's  scaler  large  size. 

One  saw  mill  building  40x40.     Capacity  12  M  per  day. 
One  36-inch  circular  saw. 
One  shingle  mill. 
One  jointer  and  cut-off. 

One  steam  engine  and  pump,  24  horse  power. 
Full  equipment  of  line  shafting  and  pulleys,  belting,  etc. 
One  barn  20x30. 
One  superintendent's  house  and  office  24X36,  1}  stories, 

with  lean-to  12x20,  eleven  rooms. 
One  store  room  16x24,  with  cellar. 
One  scale  house  10X12. 
One  set  of  Fairbank's  five-ton  scales. 
One  blacksmith  shop  12x16, 
One  ore  house  16X40. 
Two  houses  for  men  12x20. 
One  Oertling  button  balance. 
One  Oertling  ore  balance. 
One  pestle  and  mortar. 
Two  bucking  plates. 
One  cupel  mold. 

One  porcelain  mortar  and  pestle. 
One  burte. 

Six  large  plumbago  crucibles  and  scorifiers. 
One  assay  furnace. 
One  smelting  furnace. 
One  lot  glass  ware  and  chemicals. 
One  desk. 

Three  bedsteads,  with  springs,  mattresses  and  beddiug. 
One  hall  safe. 
One  cook  stove. 
Two  heating  stoves. 
Ten  chairs. 
One  letter  press. 
One  center  table. 
Two  wash  stands. 


5 

Two  mirrors. 
One  small  bureau- 
One  grindstone. 
One  lot  ore  screens. 
Two  extra  pulleys. 
Six  oil  barrels. 
One  cross-cut  saw. 
Three  carpenters'  levels. 
Three  carpenters'  squares. 
Three  iron  wheelbarrows. 
150  feet  one  and  one-half  inch  rubber  hose. 
One  whim  harness. 
Seven  kegs  of  black  powder. 
Twenty-six  doors. 
Eight  window  sash. 
One  set  Fairbanks'  scales. 
One  chest  carpenter's  tools. 
One  keg  of  nails. 
One  saw  gummer. 
One  belt  stretcher. 
Five  hundred  pounds  of  iron. 
860  pounds  drill  steel. 
Eight  pick  eyes. 
One  surveyor's  chain. 
Twenty  striking  hammers. 
One  hundred  pounds  bone  ash. 
One  hundred  ore  sacks. 
Fifty  ore  pockets. 

At  the  Mines — 

One  boarding  house  24x40,  with  kitchen  and  store  room 

12X40,  and  lean  to  12X36. 
One  large  cook  stove. 
Two  heating  stoves. 
One  parlor  stove. 

Dishes,  knives,  etc.,  for  twenty*five  men. 
One  tunnel  house  16X16,  with  bunk-room  10X20  at 

Leviathan. 

One  boiler-room  16x24,  at  Britannic. 
One  blacksmith  shop  12X16,  at  Britannic. 
One  ore-house  16X30,  at  Britannic. 
One  35  horse  power  engine. 


Two  20  horse  power  boilers. 

One  bolster. 

One  large  blower. 

One  small  blower. 

One  whim. 

Three  pair  of  bellows. 

One  set  blacksmith's  tools. 

Two  heaters. 

One  carpenter's  level. 

One  Fairbanks'  scales. 

One  surveyor's  compass* 

One  surveyor's  level. 

Three  iron  ore  buckets. 

Six  iron  ore  cars. 

Eight  hundred  feet  T  rails. 

325  feet  one  and  one-half  inch  rope. 

Three  iron  wheelbarrows. 

Ninety  pounds  drill  steel. 

Two  hundred  pounds  of  iron. 

One  whim  house  20X30,  at  Kevenue. 

One  bunk-room  16x20. 

One  tunnel  house  12x16,  at  Centennial. 

One  log  store  room  16X20,  with  lean-to  12X30* 

Two  log  cabins. 

One  log  stable. 

Nearly  all  of  the  above  property  is  in  good  condition  and 
ready  for  immediate  use.  Some  changes  should  be  made 
in  the  arrangement  of  the  buildings,  and  some  additions  to 
the  stock  of  tools. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

A.  W.  KELLOGG, 
Mining  Superintendent. 

In  addition  to  the  above  personal  property  there  are  nine 
lodes  and  several  mill  sites,  and  480  acres  of  land  at  the 
town  of  Grant,  on  the  South  Park  Branch  of  the  Union  Pa- 
cific Railroad,  including  that  town  and  the  depot,  telegraph 
office  and  other  buildings,  and  where  the  company  have  a 
large  dwelling  house,  all  with  perfect  titles  beginning  with 
United  States  patents,  and  160  acres  upon  which  the  smelter, 
saw  mill,  and  other  buildings  are  located. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  October  Zbth,  1883. 

To  the  Board  of  Directors  of  "  The  Geneva   Grey  Copper, 
Silver  and  Gold  Mining  and  Milling  Company  :" 

Gentlemen : — 

Having  visited  the  mining  property  known  as  the  Geneva 
property,  situated  at  the  head  of  Geneva  Gulch,  in  Clear 
Creek,  Park  and  Summit  Counties,  in  the  State  of  Colo- 
rado, and  personally  examined  the  same  for  my  own  satis- 
faction and  that  of  others,  lor  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
its  value,  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  report,  which 
is  substantially  a  copy  of  a  report  made  by  me  to  Hon.  B. 
F.  Jonas  and  Gen.  John  A.  Logan. 

First.  I  submit  the  following  copies  of  letters  and  pa- 
pers relating  to  this  property,  namely — 1st.  Letter  of 
George  Teal,  a  mining  Engineer  of  Boulder,  Colorado ; 
2nd.  Let;er  of  Hon.  J.  B.  Grant,  Governor  of  that  State; 
3rd.  Letter  of  Geo.  Rust  &  Co.,  owners  of  a  recently  con- 
structed Concentration  works  at  Decatur,  Colorado,  and 
4th.  A  letter  of  A.  A.  Egbert,  the  General  Superintendent 
of  the  Colorado  division  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
Company. 

These  letters  explain  themselves. 

Second.  The  result  of  my  personal  examination  of  these 
mines,  and  the  property  belonging  to  them.  To  begin 
that,  I  call  your  attention  to  the  printed  report  made  to 
Jno.  W.  Godfrey,  by  A.  W.  Kellogg,  (copy  herewith  en- 
closed). This  report,  as  to  the  amount  and  character  of 
developemnt-work  done  in  the  mines,  I  found  substantially 
correct.  In  making  my  examinations  of  the  property,  I 
explored  all  the  tunnels,  shafts  and  levels  or  drifts,  cut  and 
sunk.  There  are  three  tunnels,  namely, — the  "Britannic," 
the  "Leviathan,"  and  the  "Mallory."  The  "  Britannica" 
has  been  run  into  the  mountain  (the  main  divide  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  a  distance  of  about  1050  feet  from  the 
Atlantic  side,  and  within  about  300  feet  of  the  Pacific 
slope.)  The  "  Leviathan"  a  distance  of  about  750  feet, 
and  the  "  Mallory"  about  400  feet.  The  "  Leviathan"  cuts 
two  veins;  one  of  which  has  some  developement-work 
done  The  "  Britannic, "  or  principal  tunnel,  cuts  three 
good  silver  veins,  the  "  Celtic,"  the  "  Baltic,"  and  the 
"  Revenue."  It  cuts  the  "  Celtic"  lode  at  about  400  feet 


in  the  Mountain,  the  "Baltic"  at  about  750  feet,  and  the 
"Kevenue"  near  its  present  terminus.  On  the  "Celtic" 
vein  or  lode,  a  drift  has  been  run  a  distance  of  near  200 
feet,  passing  in  its  course  the  shaft  sunk  on  that  vein  from 
the  surface,  thus  furnishing  good  ventilation  of  the  tunnel 
at  that  point.  On  thj  "  Baltic"  vein  or  lode,  the  principal 
work  of  ore  developement  has  been  done;  at  the  point 
where  the  "Britannic"  tunnel  cuts  or  crosses  this  vein,  a 
shaft  has  been  sunk,  on  the  vein,  to  the  depth  of  240  feet. 
From  which  shaft,  at  intervals  of  each  60  feet  in  its  down- 
ward course,  drifts  have  been  been  run,  on  the  vein,  dis- 
tances averaging  about  100  feet  each,  thus  exposing, 
ready  for  mining,  the  vein  60  by  100  feet  for  each  60  feet 
thus  run.  This  is  what  is  called  in  mining  p.rlance 
"  Blocks,  or  01  e  in  sight."  There  are  four  of  these  "blocks" 
opened  and  developed  in  this  240  feet  shaft.  In  my  meas- 
urement of  this  vein,  in  this  shaft  and  in  the  different  drifts 
run  from  it,  I  make  the  average  thickness  16  inches.  The 
thinest  point  I  found  being  8  inches,  and  running  from  that 
to  23  inches.  But  allowing  the  vein  to  average  only  12 
inches,  then  we  find  that  there  is  ore  in  these  four  blocks,  (60 
by  100  feet  each),  24,000  cubic  feet,  and  allowing  10  cubic 
feet  to  the  ton  there  is  2,400  tons  of  ore  ready  to  be  taken 
out  for  market  from  this  devlopement  alone.  The  assays 
I  had  made  from  ore  that  I  took  from  this  vein,  in  person, 
excluding  the  largest,  "  No.  6,"  shows  an  average  of  $118.- 
28  per  ton.  In  obtaining  the  samples,  I  cut  the  vein  at 
various  points  in  the  shaft  and  dirifts,  and,  in  doing  so,  I 
took  the  ore  in  each  case  from  clear  across  the  vein,  in  or- 
der to  secure  an  average  quality  of  the  vein.  These  sam- 
ples I  took  personal  charge  of  and  took  them  to  Denver 
to  be  assayed,  and  before  having  the  assays  made,  I  made 
inquiry  of  the  oldest  and  most  reputable  citizens  of  that 
place,  Governor  Grant  among  the  number,  to  ascertain  who 
was  the  reliable  assayist  there,  and  was  unanimously  re- 
commended to  rely  upon  Prof.  E.  B.  Burlingame.  I  then 
committed  my  samples  to  him  to  assay.  His  certificate 
thereof  was  mailed  to  you  at  New  Orleans,  also  a  copy 
thereof  to  Gen.  John  A.  Logan  at  Chicago.  In  regard  to 
these  assays  I  will  explain  that  I  did  not  intend  the  large 
assay  "  No.  6  "  should  be  included  with  the  other  eight  in 
making  the  average  assay  of  the  lode.  After  I  had  pro- 
cured the  samples  I  did,  for  that  purpose,  I  then,  with  the 


mining  engineer,  looked  through  the  vein  to  try  and  find 
the  richest  specimen  we  could,  and  selected  the  "  Bismuth" 
specimen,  from  which  assay  "  No.  6  "  was  made.  But, 
excluding  that,  the  average  of  the  remaining  eight  shows  a 
value  far  above  what  is  now  considered  valuable  mining  ore. 
The  best  informed  men  T  found  said  to  me  that  ore  which 
would  run  $60  per  ton,  with  reasonably  moderate  transpor- 
tation, would  pay  well.  On  the  subject  of  the  market  for 
the  ore  of  these  mines  and  the  transportation  thereof,  I  will 
say  that,  with  the  main  tunnel,  (the  Britannic,)  being  com- 
pletely through  the  mountain  to  the  Pacific  slope,  a  dis- 
tance of  only  about  300  feet  from  its  present  terminus, 
brings  that  end  of  the  tunnel  to  within  about  two  miles  of 
the  town  of  Decatur,  situated  immediately  below  that  point, 
in  the  valley  ot  a  tributary  of  Snake  River,  where  the 
Concentration  (works)  mill  of  Geo.  Rust  &  and  Co.  is  now- 
operating,  and,  by  the  construction  of  a  suitable  tramway, 
the  ore  can  be  transported  from  the  Pacific  end  of  the  tun- 
nel to  that  point  automatically.  Besides  this,  I  have  the 
assurance  of  the  General  Superintendent  of  the  Colorado 
Division  of  the  U.  P.  K  K.,  that  its  South  Park  branch, 
now  within  ten  miles  of  Decatur,  will  be  extended  to  that 
point  early  next  spring  (see  his  letter).  With  these  facili- 
ties, all  the  ore  of  these  mines,  (both  high  and  low  grades), 
can  be  available  conveniently  and  at  a  large  profit.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  ore  development,  above  mentioned,  there  is 
now  out  of  the  mines,  and  on  the  ore  dumps  at  the  Atlan- 
tic ends  of  these  tunnels,  about  300  hundred  tons  of  low 
grade  ore,  that  is  to  say,  ore  taken  from  the  mine  in  mak- 
ing these  developements,  from  which  the  richest  parts  have 
been  culled  and  carted  or  packed  to  market.  This  low 
grade  assay  $51.07  per  ton.  (See  assay  No.  -5.)  Hitherto 
all  ore  taken  from  these  mines  had  to  be  taken  to  "  Grant," 
a  station  on  the  South  Park  Railroad,  distant  12  miles  from 
the  mines.  Consequently,  this  low  grade  ore  was  not  and 
could  not  be  made  available.  But  with  the  "  Britannic  " 
tunnel  completed  it  can  be  made  available  at  a  good  profit. 
There  are  embraced  in  this  property,  nine  well  defined 
fissure- veins  or  lodes,  all  in  one  group,  the  titles  to  which 
are  perfect;  beginning  with  the  United  States  patents,  and 
coining  down  to  the  present  owners,  in  one  unbroken  line. 
Besides  these  lodes,  there  is  a  large  amount  of  other  prop- 
erty, consisting  of  timber  lands,  and  milling  sites,  all  with 
like  titles.  Also,  a  large  amount  of  machinery  and  tools, 


10 

consisting  of  one  heat  concentrator  ;  steam  saw  mill,  in 
complete  order ;  one  35-horse  power  engine,  in  the  mines, 
complete  ;  a  complete  assay  office  and  apparatus ;  black- 
smith shops  snd  tools  of  all  kinds,  nearly. 

The  tunnels  referred  to  are  all  well  constructed,  and  in 
excellent  working  condition;  their  sizes  are  about  6  feet  in 
width,  and  from  6J  to  7J  in  height,  The  shafts  and  drifts 
are  all  large  and  roomy  and  all  in  good  working  condi- 
tion. There  is  no  water  encountered  in  any  of  them.  In- 
deed the  attitude  of  these  works  is  so  great  (about  11,000 
feet)  that  no  danger  of  being  interferred  with  by  water  need 
ever  be  apprehended.  From  the  cost  of  tunnelling  and 
shafting  at  the  present  time,  with  the  modern  appliances 
therefor,  the  work  of  this  character  already  done  in  these 
mines  could  not  now  be  done  for  anything  near  the  price 
for  which  this  property  has  been  purchased,  namely, 
$200,000.  So  that,  on  the  plan  proposed  to  operate  it  the 
only  question  that  need  be  considered  by  those  engaging  in 
the  enterprise  and  furnishing  the  $30,000  in  cash  to  be 
placed  in  the  treasury  of  the  company,  as  a  fund  to  defray 
the  necessary  expenses  and  to  push  the  "  Brittanic"  tunnel 
through  to  the  Pacific  slope,  and  to  construct  a  tramway  to 
transport  the  ore  to  the  mill  or  railway  at  Decatur,  by  the 
time  next  spring  when  the  railroad  reaches  that  point,  is 
whether  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  ore  in  the  several 
veins  developed  and  belonging  to  the  property  will  justify 
the  investment. 

On  that  subject  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that,  from 
my  personal  examination,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  ore  al- 
ready developed  in  the  "Baltic"  vein,  with  the  low  grade 
ore  above  referred  to  as  already  out,  is  vastly  more  than 
sufficient  to  cover  the  $30,000  and  provide  for  the  interest 
on  the  $200,000  of  the  bonds  of  the  company,  at  6  per  cent, 
per  annum,  given  in  payment  for  the  entire  property;  and 
also  to  make  all  necessary  developments  and  improvements 
for  the  further  operation  of  the  mines  in  the  future.  If  I 
am  correct  in  this,  then  those  who  furnish  that  operating 
capital,  will  be  secure  in  being  reimbursed  the  amount  con- 
tributed to  that  fund  within  the  first  year,  and  have  the  in- 
terest represented  by  their  stock  in  any  future  there  may 
be  in  property,  without  any  cost,  beyond  the  use,  for  that 
time  of  the  sum  thus  advanced  to  start  the  enterprise.  As 
I  presume  you  are  not  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the 


11 

property,  and  its  operation  in  the  past,  I  deem  it  proper 
to  explain  that,  as  I  learned  it  in  Colorado  from  those  who 
have  known  it  from  its  first  discovery,  these  mines  were 
originally  owned,  partly  by  a  company,  and  partly  by  individ 
uals.  Upon  the  development  of  these  several  lodes  in  the 
beginning,  it  was  found  from  their  "dips,"  that  they  were 
running  together  at  no  great  distance  down ;  therefore  the 
company,  and  the  several  individual  claimants  consolidated 
their  interests,  and  organized  what  was  known  as  "  The 
Geneva  Consolidated  Mining  and  Smelting  Company."  The 
business  affairs  of  this  company  was  committed  to  the  man- 
agement of  a  man  who  proved  extravagant  and  careless,  and, 
before  the  stockholders  found  it  out,  involved  the  company 
largely  in  debt;  to  provide  for  the  payment  of  which  the 
company  borrowed  money  and  secured  that  loan  by  a  trust 
deed  on  the  entire  property.  The  company  failing  to  pay 
the  first  interest  thereon,  the  trust  was  executed,  the  prop- 
erty sold  and  purchased  by  the  cestue  que  trust,  who  sold  to 
this  new  company.  This  is  the  explanation  why  such  an 
amount  ot  valuable  development-work  on  good  veins  of  ore 
is  made  obtainable  at  the  price  of  $200,000,  payable  in  the 
bonds  of  this  company,  due  in  ten  years,  bearing  interest  at 
6  per  cent,  per  annum,  payable  semi-annually,  with  the 
privilege  of  the  company  paying  the  whole  or  any  part 
thereof  at  any  time  after  one  year,  if  it  desires  to  do  so. 
These  bondssecured  by  a  first  mortgage  on  the  property  only . 

The  basis  of  my  estimates  upon  which  I  express)the  opin- 
ion that  there  can  be  no  risk  in  embarking  in  the  enterprise 
proposed  is  :  that  allowing  the  ore  in  "  Blocks  "  to  be  2,400 
tons,  which  assays  §113.28  per  ton,  I  reduce  that  assay  to 
$100  per  ton,  then  allow  the  large  cost  of  one-half  for  tak- 
ing that  ore  out  of  the  "  Blocks,"  and  milling  the  same, 
still  there  would  be  a  net  value  thereof  of  $120,000  besides 
the  avails  of  300  tons  of  low  grade  ore  now  out. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  add  that,  so  well  am  I  satisfied  with 
the  property,  after  a  thorough  personal  examination  of  the 
same,  and  its  future,  that  I  shall  take  one  of  the  six  inter- 
ests to  furnish  the  $30.000,  on  the  plan  proposed  by  Gen. 
Simmes,  in  the  formation  of  the  new  company,  which  I 
suppose  he  has  fully  acquainted  you  with,  and  I  shall  not 
hesitate  to  advise  any  of  my  friends,  who  may  be  able  to 
do  so,  to  do  likewise. 

Yery  respectfully,  &c., 

(Signed)     W.  W.  WILSHIRE. 


12 

Copies  of  Letters  referred  to  in  Report. 

"No.  1." 

BOULDER,  COLORADO,  October  13, 1883. 
W.  W.  WILSHIRE  Esq.: 

DEAR  SIR  :  Yours  of  to-day  to  hand,  and  in  reply  will 
say,  1st.  I  do  regard  the  property  valuable,  and  one,  had  I 
means,  would  cheerfully  invest  in.  I  also  feel  satisfied  that 
with  proper  management^  both  in  regard  to  the  working  of 
the  mine  and  the  treatment  of  the  ore,  the  mine  can  and 
will  pay  largely. 

Its  past  management  is  no  secret;  in  fact,  it  has  been 
well  known  as  the  mine  of  the  forty  thieves.  Therefore, 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  why  so  much  money  has  been 
expended,  and  so  little  returns. 

2d.  The  mine  can  be  worked  all  the  year  without  any 
extra  cost  or  danger.  The  snow  does  not  affect  the  devel- 
opment ot  the  property.  Some  winters  the  roads  are  bet- 
ter for  travel  from  the  mines  to  the  railroad,  owing  to  the 
good  sleighing. 

Yours,  most  respectfully, 

GEORGE  TEAL, 

Mining  Engineer. 

. 

Indorsed  as  follows: 

I  regard  Mr.  George  Teal  as  one  of  our  most  able  and 
reliable  mining  engineers  in  Colorado. 
Oct.  15th,  '83. 

(Signed)    G.  G.  SYMES. 

I  know  Mr.  Teal;  he  is  a  good  mining  engineer ;  has 
been  in  the  management  of  large  mines.  I  have  no  doubt 
about  his  statements  being  correct. 

JOHN  A.  LOGAN. 

"No.  2." 
STATE  OF  COLORADO,  GOVERNOR'S  OFFICE, 

DENVER,  COLORADO,  October  11,  1883. 
Judge  W.  W.  WILSHIRE, 

City. 

DEAR  SIR  :  In  reply  to  your  inquiry  as  to  the  reputation 
of  Mr.  E.  E.  Burlingame  as  an  assay er,  I  am  happy  to  say 


13 

that  I  regard  him  as  being  entirely  trustworthy  in  every 
respect.  Yon  can  confidently  rely  upon  statements  that  he 
may  make  to  you  with  reference  to  the  value  of  ore  carry- 
ing the  precious  metals. 

Very  respectfully, 

J.  B.  GKANT. 

"  No.  3." 

DENVER,  COLORADO,  October  15,  1883. 
Mr.  W.  W.  WILSHIRE: 

DEAR  SIR:  You  ask  me  the  character  of  my  reduction 
works  at  Decatur,  &c.  It  is  for  treating  copper  and  zinc 
or  antimony  ores,  or  such  ores  as  are  considered  refractory. 
Can  use  lead  ore  that  does  not  run  more  than  10  per  cent, 
in  lead,  but  do  not  pay  anything  for  it,  as  we  cannot  at 
present  save  lead;  but  in  the  course  of  a  year  we  expect  to 
add  a  smelter  to  our  plant.  Our  plant  is  complete,  and 
the  first  run  has  been  made  and  is  a  great  success.  We 
can  handle  at  present  about  ten  tons  per  day,  but  by  the  ad- 
dition of  an  automatic  roaster  can  increase  with  our  present 
capacity  to  30  tons.  We  are  running  on  Montezuma  ores 
at  present,  which  they  have  to  bring  eight  miles  up  the 
valley. 

We  expect  the   railroad   in  soon,  when  we  will  be   the 
natural  centre  for  all  ores  in  that  region. 
Very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)    GEORGE  RUST  &  Co. 

"  No.  4." 
UNION  PACIFIC  RAILROAD,  COLORADO  DIVISION, 

GENERAL  SUPT.  OFFICE, 
DENVER,  COLORADO,  Oct.  13,  1883. 
Judge  W.  W.  WILSHIRE  : 

DEAR  SIR  :  In  regard  to  our  conversation  as  to  the  com- 
pletion of  our  line  to  Decatur  at  an  early  date,  I  think  it 
will  be  done  early  next  year.  I  have  advocated  it,  and  ex- 
pect a  number  of  our  directors  here  in  a  few  days,  and 
think,  after  my  showing  them  the  importance  of  it,  that 
they  will  authorize  the  completion  of  it  at  once. 

(Signed)     A.  A.  EGBERT, 

Gen.  Supt. 


ON  THE 


Geneva    Mining   Estate. 


DENVER,  COL.,  January  1,  1882. 

DEAR  SIR  :  In  accordance  with  your  request,  I  herewith 
submit  my  report  on  the  "  Geneva  Mining  Estate :" 

LOCATION,  ETC. 

It  is  situated  in  Clear  Creek  and  Park  counties  in  Colo- 
rado, about  seventy  miles  from  Denver,  and  consists  of  nine- 
teen lode  claims  on  Ke venue  Mountain,  at  the  head  of 
Geneva  Creek,  the  tributary  of  the  Platte  Eiver ;  of  four 
mill  sites  on  said  creek;  of  480  acres  of  timber  and  agricul- 
tural land  at  Grant,  a  station  on  the  D.,  S.  P.  &  P.  Railroad, 
located  at  the  mouth  of  Geneva  Creek ;  of  a  smelter,  saw 
mill,  offices,  etc.,  at  Asterville,  about  eight  miles  from  Grant, 
on  said  creek,  and  of  boarding  houses,  machinery,  and 
mining  buildings  at  the  mines. 

LODE  CLAIMS. 

These  claims  are  known  as  the  Revenue,  Baltic,  Celtic, 
Republic,  Oceanic,  Adriatic,  Gaelic,  Graphic,  Belgic,  Blue, 
Best,  (for  all  of  which  Government  patents  have  been  issued,) 
Japanic,  Occidental,  Murphy,  Hugh  Kelley,  Dudley,  Little 
Railroad,  and  Kelley  and  Dudley.  These  latter  are  distinct 
claims,  but  covered  and  protected  by  the  surface  lines  of  the 
patented  claims. 

HISTORY. 

The  discovery  of  good  surface  ore  (float)  on  Revenue 
Mountain,  in  1873,  induced  several  prospectors  to  com- 
mence work  at  that  point,  and  a  large  number  of  locations 
were  soon  made.  The  result  of  further  work  was  the  pro- 


16 

duction  and  shipment  of  fair  quantities  of  high-grade  pay 
ores;  some  of  it  of  such  exceptional  richness  as  to  attract 
the  attention  of  investors,  who,  with  a  view  of  opening  the 
claims  at  greater  depths,  purchased  several  of  them,  pro- 
jected and  drove  the  Leviathan  tunnel.  The  company  op- 
erating this  tunnel  also  purchased  quite  a  number  of  the 
adjoining  surface  locations,  and  did  some  valuable  prospect- 
ing work  by  sinking  shafts  and  running  cross-cuts  thereon, 
while  driving  their  main  tunnel  a  distance  of  764  feet  into 
the  mountain,  cutting  several  veins  at  a  good  depth,  but  not 
securing  any  large  quantity  of  pay  ore  except  from  the 
second  vein  cut.  One  of  the  properties  which  attracted 
much  attention,  by  reason  of  its  rich  surface  ores,  was  the 
Eevenue  mine.  This  property  was  purchased  for  a  large 
consideration  from  the  original  discoverers,  and  soon  passed 
into  the  hands  of  English  capitalists,  who  organized  the 
Revenue  Mining  Company,  by  whom  the  work  was  prose- 
cuted and  large  shipments  of  rich  ore  made.  Other  prop- 
erties were  acquired  by  this  company,  and,  after  some  time, 
a  conflict  of  title  arising  with  the  Leviathan  Tunnel  Com- 
pany, a  consolidation  of  property  and  interests  was  effected, 
and  the  Geneva  Consolidated  Mining  and  Smelting  Com- 
pany was  organized,  with  a  capitalization  of  two  million 
five  hundred  thousand  ($2,500,000)  dollars.  By  this  con- 
solidation of  interests  the  new  company  was  well  situated 
for  good  and  effective  work.  Possessed  of  an  immense 
mineral  territory,  with  fissue-veins,  mill,  and  tunnel  rights 
of  assured  value,  this  company  should  have  made  a  great 
success,  and  have  added  largely  to  the  world's  store  of 
precious  metals  at  a  profit.  That  these  results  were  not  at- 
tained is  to  be  regretted,  but  must  not  be  charged  against 
the  property.  An  elaborate  system  of  development  was 
inaugurated  and  carried  on  until,  by  reason  of  lavish  ex- 
penditure and  mismanagement,  the  credit  of  the  company 
was  exhausted  and  its  property  sold  to  meet  the  demand  of 
creditors.  The  mine  development  thus  obtained,  at  a  loss 
to  stockholders,  is  all  of  value  to  future  owners.  The  ex- 
penditure for  the  erection  of  the  smelter  may  be  considered 
as  nearly  a  total  loss,  as  it  is  of  no  practical  value  to  the 
estate. 

This  enterprise  was  but  a  repetition  of  the  mistake  so 
often  made  by  mining  companies  who,  when  operating  at 
a  distance  from  suitable  ore  markets,  seek  to  lessen  their 
freight  charges  by  endeavoring  to  successfully  treat  their 


17 

own  refractory  ores,  and  this  in  total  disregard  of  the  fact 
that  such  ores  of  one  class  only  can  not  he  smelted  econom- 
ically; that  a  variety  of  ores,  not  usually  obtainable  from 
any  one  mine,  must  be  had  to  secure  a  proper  flux  and  such 
a  profit  as  will  warrant  the  expense  of  plant  and  treatment. 
The  only  works  needed  with  this  property  is  a  concentrating 
mill,  and  that  only  when  a  large  quantity  of  low  grades 
shall  have  accumulated. 

DEVELOPMENTS. 

The  actual  mine  developments,  so  far  accomplished,  may 
be  summarized  as  follows: 

Tunnels.  feet. 

Britannic 1,025 

Leviathan 764 

Mallory 408 

Centennial .  . ....  193 

Eepublic 115 

Blue ,  ,  .  278 

2,773  feet. 

Drifts.  feet. 

Baltic  vein 1,703 

Celtic  vein 193 

Blue 43 

Leviathan 677 

Centennial 69 

Mallory 45 

Revenue  vein ....  551 

3,351  feet. 

Shafts.  feet. 

Revenue 455 

Baltic 275 

Celtic 240 

Miscellaneous 150 

1,120  feet. 

Stopes  have  also  been  driven  to  the  amount  of  650  fathoms. 
I  estimate,  roughly,  the  proper  cost  of  the  above  work  at 
$120,000.  The  erection  of  smelter,  saw  mill,  buildings,  ma- 
chinery, etc.,  will  make  another  item  of  a  least  $200,000.  I 


18 

am  informed,  however,  that  under  the  system  of  manage- 
ment adopted,  the  outlay  has  been  over  $500,000.  From 
the  best  information  I  can  obtain,  the  property  has  pro- 
duced between  $150,000  and  $200,000. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  mines,  much  of  the  work  was 
done  by  lessees,  and  large  quantities  of  high  grade  ore  were 
stolen  and  never  accounted  for.  It  has  lately  transpired 
that  ore  was  regularly  transported  to  Georgetown,  a  distance 
of  fourteen  miles,  by  night,  from  which  the  company  never 
realized  a  dollar,  and  of  which  we  are  unable  to  get  any 
returns  as  to  quantity  and  value.  The  ore  must  have  been 
high  grade,  in  order  to  stand  such  high  freight  and  treating 
charges  as  would  be  demanded  under  the  circumstances.  In 
many  instances,  also,  sampling  works,  where  the  company 
marketed  their  ores,  have  changed  hands,  and  the  books  of 
the  previous  owners  can  not  be  obtained  from  which  to  se- 
cure accurate  returns.  I  append  copies  of  returns  from  the 
Boston  and  Colorado  Smelting  Company,  showing  ship- 
ments to  them  which  aggregate  over  $38,000.  My  estimate 
of  total  production  is  made  from  what  I  know  of  the  ore 
at  present,  and  from  what  I  can  indirectly  learn  from 
parties  familiar  with  the  character  of  the  ore  bodies  in 
the  past. 

My  attention  was  called  to  the  property  in  Jul  v  last,  when 
I  was  shown  a  list  of  assays  made  by  Professor  Burlingame, 
of  this  city,  (a  copy  of  which  is  appended  and  marked  Ex- 
hibit B.)  They  gave  such  a  fine  average  that  I  was  induced 
to  examine  the  property,  with  a  view  to  its  future  possibil- 
ities. At  that  time  I  took  forty- two  samples  of  ore  from 
the  various  workings,  many  of  these  samples  being  assayed 
from  curiosity  only,  but  resulting  in  another  large  average, 
as  shown  in  Exhibit  C,  hereto  attached.  Since  that  time  I 
have  had  the  general  management  of  the  work  and  have 
carefully  examined  the  property,  making  frequent  tests  of 
the  ore,  and  with  uniformly  large  results,  so  much  so  that 
I  am  surprised  at  the  quantity  of  the  ore  and  its  exceptional 
value.  From  these  tests  and  my  familiarity  with  the  work- 
ings I  am,  therefore,  to  a  certain  extent,  qualified  to  esti- 
mate the  probable  value  of  the  ore  already  extracted. 

In  sinking  and  in  driving  the  levels  and  stops,  nearly  4,000 
tons  of  ore  should  have  been  extracted,  worth  in  the  rough 
at  least  $50  per  ton.  This  would  give  an  aggregate  yield 
of  nearly  $200,000,  as  indicated  above,  though  it  may  not 
have  reached  that  amount. 


19 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  ORES. 

The  ores  of  this  district  are  mainly  argentiferous,  galena, 
and  bismuth,  iron  and  copper  pyrites,  gray  copper,  and  zinc 
blend.  Ruby,  brittle,  and  native  silver  are  also  found,  and 
nearly  all  of  these  ores  carry  a  small  percentage  of  gold. 

TREATMENT  OF  THE  ORES. 

At  present  the  most  available  manner  of  realizing  from 
these  ores  is  to  rough  dress  them  by  hand,  and  ship  to 
smelters  all  ores  running  $75  per  ton  and  upward.  Ore  of 
this  class  in  quantity  will  pay  handsomely,  and  the  facilities 
for  marketing  them  are  increasing  every  year.  Plans  are 
now  being  considered  for  the  erection  in  various  portions  of 
the  State  of  leaching  works  similiar  to  those  used  in  Cal- 
ifornia whereby  pyrites  ores  can  be  handled  at  a  much  less 
cost  than  by  smelting.  If  this  be  done,  the  Geneva  ores 
should  be  submitted  to  a  different  dressing  and  three  classes 
made,  viz:  smelting  ore — galena,  gray  copper,  and  bismuth; 
chlorination  ore — iron  and  copper  pyrites;  concentration 
ore — all  ore  of  too  low  grade  for  profitable  shipment. 

FUTURE  WORK. 

In  regard  to  the  future  working  and  development  of  this 
great  property,  I  suggest-- 

1st.  The  completion  of  the  Britannic  tunnel  through  to 
the  Pacific  slope,  a  distance  of  300  feet. 

2d.  Tne  completion  of  the  upraise  on  the  Revenue  vein 
until  a  junction  is  made  with  the  main  or  working  shaft. 

3d.  The  extension  of  the  Mallory  tunnel  to  a  junction 
with  the  blue  lode. 

4th.  The  extension  of  the  West  tunnel  level  on  the  Bal- 
tic vein  to  a  junction  with  a  drift  from  the  Mallory  tunnel 
on  the  same  vein. 

5th.  The  projection  and  driving  of  a  lower  or  main  tun- 
nel at  least  600  feet  deeper  than  the  Britannic  tunnel  and 
from  the  lowest  available  point  on  the  Pacific  slope. 

The  first  four  items  of  the  projected  work  are  designed 
to  secure  proper  ventilation,  open  new  ground,  and  furnish 
adequate  facilities  for  working;  the  ground  already  parti- 
ally explored. 


20 

The  latter  item  to  constitute  a  new  and  grander  system 
of  development,  and  I  give  a  few  ot  the  many  reasons  call- 
ing for  immediate  work  in  this  direction  : 

1st.  The  cutting  of  veins  not  encountered  in  the  Britannic 
tunnel  or  other  workings,  but  known  to  exist  on  both  sides 
of  the  mountain. 

2d.  The  opening  of  large  bodies  of  ore  in  the  Baltic, 
Blue,  Kevenue,  and  other  veins  now  being  worked,  and  in 
the  most  favorable  manner. 

3d.  The  probabilities  that  the  many  veins  cut  by  the 
Britannic  tunnel  will  be  found  concentrated  into  a  few  larger 
veins  at  this  greater  depth,  and  thus  be  worked  at  less  ex- 
pense. 

4th.  The  increased  facilities  for  handling  and  marketing 
ores. 

On  the  Pacific  slope,  where  it  is  proposed  to  start  this 
tunnel,  we  are  much  nearer  railroad  connections,  and  the 
expense  to  get  the  ore  to  the  market  will  be  greatly  re- 
duced ;  the  water  supply  is  more  regular  for  steam  purposes, 
and  there  is  less  danger  of  snow-slides  and  consequent  im- 
pediment to  the  work.  In  order  to  secure  the  best  results' 
in  this,  as  in  every  other  enterprise,  it  is  necessary  that 
ample  funds  should  be  provided  for  machinery  plants  and 
development-work.  This  property  being  already  developed 
to  a  depth  of  over  500  feet,  its  value  is  a  demonstrated  fact. 
The  continuity  of  the  ore  bodies  and  their  increasing  strength 
and  richness  is  known,  and  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt 
as  to  their  permanence,  and  therefore,  in  the  future,  all  plans 
should  be  made  with  the  idea  ot  prosecuting  the  work  to 
great  depths.  Powerful  and  automatic  machinery  should 
be  provided,  and,  while  carefully  guarding  against  the  mis- 
takes and  reckless  expenditures  of  the  past,  no  money  should 
be  spared  to  make  the  improvements  permanent  in  their 
character. 

So  far,  in  this  State,  proper  attention  has  not  been  paid 
to  the  use  of  labor-saving  devices  in  connection  with  the 
mining  industry.  In  driving  the  tunnels  and  other  work 
on  this  property  I  would  advise,  so  far  as  practicable,  the 
use  of  power-drills,  automatic  transportation  of  the  ore, 
and  every  device  by  which  time  and  money  can  be  saved, 
even  if  the  first  cost  ot  the  plant  is  large,  in  the  long  run 
itwill  pay  to  use  automatic  appliances  wherever  possible,  and 


21 

to  pay  good  prices  for  hand  labor  when  machinery  cannot 
be  substituted. 

With  an  adequate  plant  and  working  capital  this  property 
can,  at  a  low  estimate,  be  made  to  produce  handseme  divi- 
dends on  a  capital  of  $500,000  invested,  and  is  now  in  much 
better  shape  to  produce  such  dividends  than  are  a  majority 
of  the  mining  properties  of  the  State. 

From  year  to  year  its  output  can  be  increased  a?  new 
ground  is  opened  and  better  facilities  are  provided  for  the 
extraction  and  treatment  of  its  ores.  If  the  lower  tunnel 
is  at  once  driven  to  a  junction  with  the  Baltic  and  Revenue 
veins,  (which  will  at  that  depth  be  united,)  a  body  of  ore 
will  be  exposed  and  available  worth  many  times  the  price 
now  asked  for  the  property.  For  every  foot  of  levels  driven 
irom  such  point  of  junction  at  least  one  hundred  tons  of  ore 
will  be  ready  for  extraction,  worth  from  $75  to  $10u  per 
ton.  This  is  not  a  wild  estimate,  but  a  reasonable  deduc- 
tion from  past  experience  in  the  upper  workings.  By  refer- 
ence to  the  maps  accompanying  this  report  you  will  see  at 
a  glance  how  admirably  this  property  is  located  for  a  sys- 
tematic development  by  cross-cut  tunnels. 

Revenue  Mountain  is  a  portion  of  The  Great  Divide,  or 
Continental  Watershed,  and  is  cut  by  an  unusual  number 
of  true  fissure  veins,  running  nearly  parallel  with  the  divide, 
and  outcropping  at  an  elevation  of  over  12,000  feet  above 
sea  level.  At  this  point  the  divide  is  comparatively  nar- 
row or  thin.  It  is,  therefore,  practicable  to  speedily  cut 
these  veins  at  nearly  a  right  angle  by  these  cross-cut  tun- 
nels, and  thus  open  up  large  reserves  of  ore,  while  securing 
perfect  ventilation  and  drainage  and  the  means  of  extract- 
ing ore  at  a  minimum  cost.  The  importance  of  such  a 
location  is  never  underestimated  by  practical  miners,  and 
should  not  be  overlooked  by  investors.  Hoisting  ore  and 
water  from  great  depths,  as  is  necessary  when  confined  to 
shaft  work  only,  is  one  of  the  largest  items  of  mining  ex- 
penses, and  should  only  be  resorted  to  when  the  conforma- 
tion of  the  ground  will  not  permit  of  a  system  of  tnnnels. 

The  maps  and  plats  accompanying  this  report  will  give 
you  a  good  idea  in  detail  of  the  location  of  the  property 
and  the  work  accomplished  to  date.  The  proposed  lower 
tunnel  noted  on  two  of  the  maps  is  the  one  projected  and 
commenced  by  the  old  company  on  the  Atlantic  slope,  and 
only  cuts  the  veins  400  feet  lower  or  deeper  than  the 


22 

Britannic  tunnel.  My  suggestion  is  in  regard  to  a  deep 
tunnel  from  the  other,  (Pacific  slope,)  the  mouth  of  which 
would  not  be  more  than  one  mile  distant  from  the  track  of 
the  Denver,  South  Park  and  Pacific  Railroad,  at  Decatur, 
to  which  point  surveys  have  been  completed,  and  where 
smelting  works  will  doubtless  be  erected  during  the  coming 
season.  This  proposed  tunnel  will  cut  the  veins  from  200 
to  300  feet  deeper  than  is  practicable  irom  the  other  slope, 
and  save  at  least  12  miles  of  ore  transportation.  It  may 
also  become  valuable  as  a  means  ot  railroad  communica- 
tion through  the  great  range,  it  being  the  quickest  and  most 
accessible  route  out. 

ORE  RESERVES. 

There  is  now  in  sight  in  the  Baltic  vein,  below  the  120 
feet  level,  a  block  of  ground  248  feet  long  by  155  feet  in 
depth,  and  averaging  at  least  9  inches  in  thickness, 
which  will  yield  3,803  tons  of  ore,  worth  at  least  $90  per 
ton,  or  a  total  of  $342,292,  while  scattered  through  the  old 
Baltic  stopes,  in  the  workings  of  the  Celtic,  Revenue,  and 
Leviathan  vein  No.  2,  good  ore  is  exposed,  which  would, 
though  not  technically  in  sight,  aggregate  aa  equal  amount, 
or  a  total  of  nearly  a  million  dollars  worth  of  ore,  exposed  in 
the  present  workings.  Cut  this  down  even  50  per  cent,  for 
expenses  of  extraction  and  treatment,  and  a  handsome  mar^ 
gin  remains. 

Before  making  this  estimate,  I  went  carefully  through 
all  the  workings  below  the  120  feet  level,  taking  samples 
across  the  high  grade  ore  streak,  (which  averaged  more 
than  12  inches  every  4  or  5  feet,  regardless  of  the  grade  of 
ore,)  my  assays  gave,  from  three  large  lots  taken  in  this 
manner,  respectively,  140.6,  102.5,  and  30.2  ounces  of  silver, 
or  an  average  of  91.2  per  ton. 

In  conclusion,  I  can  heartily  commend  this  property  as 
one  of  the  best  in  the  entire  region  devoted  to  mining.  The 
estate  is  large,  and  very  valuable  in  all  respects.  The 
tract  of  land  at  and  near  Grant,  including  that  town  site,  is 
finely  located  well  watered  and  timbered,  and  yearly  in^ 
creasing  in  value.  The  mill  and  tunnel  sites  are  also  de- 
sirably located.  The  lode  claims  are  true  fissures,  and 
therefore  destined  to  hold  their  value  for  many  years, 
Clear  Creek  county,  in  which  they  are  located,  ranks  as  one 


23 

of  the  largest  and  surest  producers  in  the  State,  having 
yielded  since  1859  over  $20,000,000  of  the  precious  metals, 
and  each  year  increasing  her  output.  However  valuable 
for  the  time  being,  deposits  of  ore  may  be,  it  is  to  fissure- 
vein  mining  we  must  look  for  that  steady  and  never  failing 
supply  of  gold  and  silver  which  gives  wealth  to  the  nation 
and  the  judicious  investor.  I  cannot  insist  too  strongly  that 
if  your  friends  interest  themselves  in  this  property  they 
should  bring  to  the  enterprise  the  same  business  capacity 
that  characterizes  all  other  successful  business  ventures. 
The  mining  industry  has  carried,  in  years  past,  a  load  of 
ignorance  and  incapacity  that  would  have  swamped  any 
other  industry,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  exceptionally 
large  profits  arising  from  the  few  enterprises  that  were 
fairly  managed,  even  it  could  not  have  survived.  There 
are  to-day  thousands  of  dollars  lying  in  the  slag  dump  of 
the  Geneva  smelter  that  should  have  gone  as  dividends  to  its 
owners ;  and  all  over  this  State,  like  monuments  of  folly,  ex- 
ist to  remind  you  and  us  of  the  sure  effects  of  ignorance  and 
mismanagement.  With  attention  to  three  important  items, 
men  of  capital  can  secure  magnificent  returns  from  mining ; 
without  this  attention  the  results  of  investment  must  nearly 
always  prove  disastrous:  First,  secure  property  that  pos- 
sesses intrinsic  value  and  gives  assurance  of  permanency  ; 
second,  provide  the  enterprise  with  an  adequate  working 
capital;  third,  employ  practical  mining  skill  in  the  man- 
agement of  your  property. 

In  the  Geneva  Mining  Estate  you  will  find  the  first  requi- 
site, and  my  experience  and  observation  both  teach  that 
if  you  will  meet  the  other  requisites  you  will  be  greatly 
benefitted  and  immensely  repaid.  In  this  particular  case 
and  with  this  property  it  rests  entirely  with  the  manage- 
ment to  make  the  enterprise  a  glorious  success. 

Eespectfully  yours, 
(Signed)  A.  W.  KELLOGG. 


MEMORANDUM. 

Of  Ore  bought  of  the  Revenue  Mining  Company  and  Geneva  Mining 
and  Smelting  Company  by  the  Boston  and  Colorado  Smelting  Com- 
pany. 


Date. 

Weight. 

i 

ASSAY,  PER  TON. 

d 

o 

JL 

g, 

| 

*c 

CM 

Amount  paid. 

d 

1 

1 
cc 

h 

O>  jj 

U,  0 

£••** 

O    o 

O  C* 

1879. 

April  11.. 
May  22... 

« 

•  < 

June  13..  . 
« 

July  3..'..' 

August  23 
Nov.  22.  .  . 

1880. 

Jan.   21... 
Feb.  21... 
March  29.. 
May  6  .... 
Nov.  10.  .. 
Dec.  2.... 
Dec.  27... 

1881. 
Jan.    17... 

"  31... 
Feb.  5.... 

"  7.".' 
"  9.... 

« 
« 

1 

4,569 
1,977 
2,092 
1,578 
3,184 
1,161 
6,161 
19,164 
6,309 
2,176 
1,714 
400 
5,684 
391 
782 
7,376 
8,092 
15,249 
1,931 

20,453 
20,111 
7,274 
24,985 
17,607 
12,325 
2,039 

15,145 
913 

19,150 
13,400 
4,628 
19,989 
8,373 

495 

4,904 

Ore  

214 
362 
45 
280 
210 
210 
119 
66 
162 
41 
177 
77 
112 
16 
151 
173 
85 
178 
263 

308 
307 
287 
225 
467 
527 
338 

470 
531 

191 
189 
221 
170 
616 

771 
73 

.8 
.7 
2.5 
13.0 
9.5 
9.5 
6.0 
2.0 
5.5 
2.5 
7.5 
4.0 
6.0 
6.5 
3.0 
5.0 
6.0 
3.5 
4.5 

19.5 
20.5 
17.5 
9.5 

24.0 

27.2 
5.8 

24.0 
14.7 

10.4 
9.0 
10.9 
8.0 
32.4 

12.3 
4.0 

$192  90 
343  80 
30  70 
267  80 
195  30 
201  70 
103  30 
48  40 
149  00 
25  00 
167  60 
63  10 
101  30 
8  60 
135  80 
157  50 
74  30 
157  20 
254  20 

338  40 
338  60 
308  50 

238  67 
519  90 
606  60 
389  46 

530  22 

584  33 

20?  83 
196  97 
236  75 
175  44 
704  60 

890  52 
71  55 

$440  57 
339  67 
32  11 
211  29 
310  91 
116  98 
318  16 
463  76 
469  94 
27  20 
143  63 
12  62 
287  89 
1  67 
53  09 
580  86 
300  61 
1,198  49 
245  43 

3,460  47 
3,404  79 
1,122  01 
2,981  58 
4,576  93 
3,738  17 
397  05 

4,015  09 
266  74 

1,989  97 
1,319  70 
547  83 
1,753  43 
2,949  80 

220  40 

175  44 

.4 
.2 

.... 

.35 

.2 

.... 

Matte.  . 

Ore  

Matte.  . 
Ore  

.45 

.67 
.66 
.30 

.75 
1.70 
2.90 
3.60 

2.43 
3  15 

1.10 
.75 
1.00 
.70 
3.05 

7.05 
.65 

Furnace, 
bottom 

Matte  .  . 

Ist-class 
ore  
2d-class 
ore.  .  .  . 

$38,474  28 

25 

The  above  is  a  correct  statement  of  ore  and  matte  purchased  by  us 
from  the  Geneva  Mining  and  Smelting  Company  and  the  Revenue 
Mining  Company. 

(Signed:)  H.  R.  WALCOTT,  Acting  Manager. 

ARGO,  COLORADO,  October  17,  1881. 

NOTE. — In  making  our  estimates  at  least  25  per  cent,  should  be  ad- 
ded to  the  above  amount  for  smelting  charges  deducted;  this  would 
make  the  total  $48,092.85. 

We  find,  by  corresponding  with  men  who  held  leases  on 
the  property,  that  there  has  been  sold  at  Georgetown  and 
other  points  about  $50,000. 

(Signed)     J.  D.  BEST. 


26 

EXHIBIT  B. 

Report  of  Assays  by  Prof.  E.  E.  Burling ame. 


Description. 

Gold. 

Silver. 

Value 
per  ton. 

West  side   120-foot  winze,  west  

oz. 
.1 

oz. 
70.9 

$79  99 

Near  bottom  of  shaft,  east  side  

Tr. 

337.8 

371  58 

East  side  120-foot  winze,  west  

.73 

674.4 

756  44 

180-foot  drift,  roof  near  brest  

Tr. 

34 

37  40 

Between  180  and  bottom  of  shaft  

.1 

14.7 

18  17 

180-foot  drift  west    hanging  wall 

.7 

83.03 

105  33 

BottoF  120-foot  winze  west 

1.8 

836.2 

955  82 

180  foot  drift   west  in  roof  ... 

1.46 

49.2 

63  32 

New  find  bottom  of  shaft 

266.2 

292  82 

240-foot  drift  "west  ...                   

355.06 

391  22 

180-foot  drift,  west,  foot  wall  

.1 

40.1 

46  11 

Bottom  shaft,  west  end  

Tr. 

9.33 

10  26 

Pocket,  near  bottom  shaft,  west  end  .  .  . 
Between  180  and  bottom  shaft,  west  end. 
East  side  shaft  below  100  feet  drift.    . 

Tr. 
.46 
Tr. 

321.13 

28.5 
78.66 

353  24 
40  54 
86  52 

180-foot  drift,  east  

.16 

251.7 

280  09 

Bottom  shaft,  east  end  

Tr. 

202.26 

222  48 

180  foot  drift  east  ...    . 

1  86 

215  8 

274  58 

Brest  of  Mallory  Tunnel  drift 

Tr 

33  3 

36  63 

Entrance  Tunnel,  Leviathan  U  slope 

488  06 

536  86 

Mallory  Tunnel  drift 

1.0 

183  03 

221  44 

Celtic,  west  drift  

.26 

14.87 

21  55 

60-foot  drift  at  shaft  

305.06 

335  56 

End  of  slope,  tunnel  level  

Tr. 

85.33 

93  86 

Dump  above  Leviathan  shaft 

33 

21  47 

30  21 

Winze  below  60-foot  level 

.1 

83  96 

94  35 

60-foot  slope  near  west  end'  ••*. 

Tr. 

43.66 

48  02 

Leviathan  shaft  

.8 

352  2 

403  42 

60-foot  drift  

.2 

41  96 

•*0  15 

Tunnel  level,  center  of  slope  
East  side  shaft,  bet.  120  and  180  feet. 
Celtic  drift,  east  

.33 
.1 
1 

75.0 
127.23 

88  13 

89  10 
141  95 
98  94 

Select  specimen  

6 

310  4 

353  44 

Slag  from  mill  

1  2 

212  13 

257  34 

Slag  from  mill  

fifi 

1O9  05 

IOK  on 

Slag  from  mill  

Tr 

10  33 

11  36 

Ore  at  assay  office  

46 

108  53 

127  38 

Mftllory  Tunnel,  east  drift.  .  . 

16 

14  fi4 

19  30 

Upuer  cut  dump  

Tr 

4Q  96 

54  18 

60-fooi  drift,  large  pocket  

5 

284  63 

323  09 

Iron  ore  

97  fi 

QO    oa 

60  -foot  slope,  near  winze  

Tr 

385  66 

424  22 

60-foot  slope,  east  end  

26 

0*  KA 

110  2Q 

60-foot  slope,  east  of  winze  

2 

668  46 

739  30 

60-foot  slope,  west  end  

16 

mi7 

127  68 

. 

Average,  forty-five  assays  

$206  66 

27 


EXHIBIT  C. 

Report  of  Assays  by  Ihomas  A.  Houyhton. 


Description. 

Gold. 

Silver 

Value 
per  ton 

Baltic   rich  specimen      

oz. 
20.1 

oz. 
1  873  9 

2  502  16 

slope   60-foot  level                   •  . 

27  55 

30  85 

slope   from  tunnel  level 

Tr 

219  1 

245  59 

sott  streak,  under  pay,  60-it.level. 

4.45 

10.7 
392  5 

11  98 
531  58 

select  specimen          

2.77 

259.73 

337  14 

small  pocket,  neir  west  end  shaft 
slope  above  tunnel  level 

Tr. 
1 

263.5 
2  3 

295  12 
4  63 

slope  60-tbot  level   west    

325  25 

364  27 

bottom  shaft     . 

92  65 

103  76 

bottom  shaft  

72.4 

81  08 

120-foot  level,  west..   . 

145.9 

163  40 

shaft,  8-inch  streak  

1. 

200.1 

226  17 

60-foot  level,  east.  .  .  . 

Tr. 

407.6 

456  51 

winze,  between  120  and  180  
bottom  of  shaft  

1.7 

344.4 
2.5 

420  85 

2  80 

slope,  above  tunnel  level  

.2 

19.9 

25  40 

180-foot  level   west 

Tr. 

195.9 

219  40 

dump  

Tr. 

25  6 

28  67 

180  toot  level  west  

.6 

22.9 

38  00 

level,  east.  

.35 

181.65 

210  67 

shaft,  west  end  

35.1 

322.15 

1,086  31 

180-foot  level   east 

.15 

25  1 

31  21 

120-foot  level,  east. 

.4 

48.5 

62  58 

bottom  shaft  :  .  .  .  . 

Tr. 

8.1 

9  07 

73  6 

82  43 

Leviathan  dump... 

15 

195  1 

222  11 

Leviathan  dump     .    .  . 

53  4 

59  80 

Revenue  dump  

34  0 

38  08 

.2 

24.1 

31  11 

Leviathan  drift  No.  4  

.1 

2.4 

4  74 

Mallory  drift  No  2 

20  9 

23  40 

Mallory,  drift  No.  1     .      . 

1 

4  55 

7  15 

Republic  dump  

Tr 

63  5 

71  12 

Galena  lode  

28.6 

32  03 

Revenue,  bottom  shaft  

43.2 

48  38 

Barry's  dump  . 

113  7 

137  34 

Leviathan  shaft,  drift  No.  2       

641  1 

718  03 

"        "  l  

Tr. 

1  6 

1  79 

"  3,  side  
"  3,  brest  

Tr. 

.2 

1 

2.2 
7.5 
46  2 

2  46 
12  52 
53  80 

Average  42  assays 

$214  88 

DENVER,  COL.,  May  15,  1883. 
GEN.  B.  B.  SIMMES, 

Denver,  Col.: 

MY  DEAR  SIK  :  I  learn  with  pleasure  that  you  have  se- 
cured the  Geneva  property,  and  in  response  to  your  inquiries 
can  say  briefly,  that  you  have  obtained  one  of  the  best  prop- 
erties in  the  State.  I  prepared  a  report  on  this  property 
in  January,  1882,  for  a  Mr.  Godfrey,  of  New  York  city, 
which  gives  full  details  in  regard  to  the  extent  of  the  prop- 
erty and  its  development.  You  doubtless  have  a  copy  of 
this  report,  and  I  am  at  this  time  confident  that  no  state- 
ments were  therein  made  which  will  not  stand  the  closest 
examination  and  be  confirmed  by  any  reliable  expert. 
Since  writing  that  report  I  have  visited  many  of  the  lead- 
ing mines  of  the  State  and  find  none  that  excel  the  Geneva 
combination,  both  in  present  and  prospective  value,  and  I 
therefore  congratulate  you  on  your  purchase. 

It  is  now  understood  that  the  Chicago,  Burlington,  & 
Quincy  E.  E.  will  extend  its  line  across  the  head  of  Geneva 
Gulch  this  season,  its  track  passing  within  200  yards  of  the 
mine,  and  thus  putting  the  property  in  direct  connection 
with  Denver  and  other  smelting  centres.  The  Denver,  South 
Park.  &  Pacific  E.  E.  is  also  pushing  its  line  up  the  Snake 
river  to  Decatur,  and  will  be  running  regular  trains  from 
that  point  this  year.  The  smelting  works  at  Decatur,  of 
which  mention  is  made  in  my  report,  are  under  construction 
and  will  buy  ore  this  season. 

All  over  the  State  the  mining  prospects  are  flattering  and 
the  output  of  ore  for  the  first  quarter  of  this  year  gives  as- 
surance that  the  yield  of  precious  metals  for  1883  will  be 
many  millions  in  excess  oi  any  previous  year. 

I  was  shown  yesterday  a  large  sample  of  ore  taken  from 
the  Terrible  mine  at  Georgetown,  (same  county  and  Mineral 
Belt  as  that  in  which  Geneva  is  situate,)  which  runs  from 
900  to  1,200  ounces  in  silver.  This  ore  was  from  the  depth 
of  1,300  feet,  the  lower  workings  of  the  mine,  and  at  this 
point  the  vein  is  stronger  and  richer  than  at  any  other 
depth  in  the  mine.  This  should  give  you  renewed  confi- 
dence in  deep  mining,  and  in  tne  permanence  and  value  of 
the  Geneva  property. 


29 

You  enter  upon  the  mining  business  at  a  very  favorable 
time,  recent  improvements  in  mining  and  mill  machinery 
make  it  possible  to  mine  and  mill  ores  at  a  profit,  which  a 
few  years  ago  could  not  be  handled,  while  the  extension  of 
our  various  railroad  systems  to  remote  camps  is  bringing  a 
greater  variety  and  quantity  of  ore  to  market  and  rendering 
it  possible  to  establish  large  smelting  works  where  our  ores 
can  be  treated  at  a  minimum  cost. 

There  are  many  thousand  dollars  now  lying  idle  in  the 
ore  and  slag  dumps  of  the  Geneva  property  that  can  be 
made  available  this  season,  it  not  having  been  practicable 
hitherto  to  move  this  slag  and  ore  on  account  of  heavy 
transportation  and  smelting  charges.  Under  wise  manage- 
ment the  Geneva  property  should  pay  handsome  monthly 
dividends  for  years  to  come  on  a  capitalization  of  $500,000, 
and  if  I  owned  the  property  with  capital  enough  to  provide 
a  good  plant  of  automatic  machinery,  I  would  not  sell  it  at 
that  figure. 

With  best  wishes  for  your  success,  and  the  assurance  that 
I  shall  be  glad,  at  any  time,  to  furnish  you  with  any  infor- 
mation I  may  possess  in  regard  to  the  property  or  the  best 
mode  of  working  it, 

I  remain, 

Yours,  very  truly, 

A.  W.  KELLOGG, 

Mining  Sup't. 


COPY  OF  REPORT  OF  PROF.  BOARD, 

OP  THE 

SCHOOL  OF  MINES,  GOLDEN,  COL., 

UPON  THE  REVENUE  GROUP. 

(NOW  KNOWN  AS  THE  GENEVA  GROUP.) 


This  property  has  been  worked  from  the  surface  for  some 
years  past ;  more  lately,  however,  these  surface  workings 
have  been  partially  abandoned,  owing  to  the  expense  con- 
sequent upon  hoisting  from  the  lower  levels  after  they  had 
been  carried  down  to  the  depth  of  200  feet.  The  mine  hav- 
ing been  proved  beyond  question  a  rich  and  paying  one, 
the  decision  was  come  to  to  open  it  by  a  tunnel  which 
would  (besides  intersecting  many  other  prominent  veins  be- 
longing to  the  company)  cut  the  Revenue  Mine  at  the  depth 
of  400  leet.  This  tunnel,  known  as  the  Britannic  Tunnel, 
has  been  driven  in  during  the  last  three  years,  and  has  been 
carried  a  distance  of  1,025  feet,  cutting  on  its  way  no  less 
then  fourteen  veins,  three  of  which  only  have  been  worked 
on — the  "  Celtic"  " Baltic"  and  ''  Revenue"  It  has  been 
considered  of  primary  importance  to  push  on  the  tunnel, 
the  other  eleven  veins  were  only  sufficiently  worked  on  to 
determine  their  general  bearing  (vide  Plan,  No.  1.) 

Britannic  Tunnel  is  driven  from  the  head  of  Geneva  Gulch, 
on  the  Atlantic  Watershed,  about  8°  north  of  west,  or  al- 
most at  right  angles  to  the  general  lay  of  the  dividing 
ridge,  which  is  almost  due  north  and  south,  and  gaining  the 
crest  of  which,  the  Pacific  Watershed  is  reached.  The 
tunnel,  if  pushed  about  300  feet  further,  would,  in  fact,  be- 
come a  connecting  link  between  the  waters  of  the  Platte  on 
the  east,  and  of  the  Snake  on  the  western  side  of  the  range. 

The  geological  formation  exposed  by  the  Britannic  Tun- 
nel is  similar  to  that  of  the  Georgetown  district  on  the 


31 

north,  and  the  St.  John's  Mines  on  the  south;  the  whole  of 
the  great  mineral  belt  which  intersects  Colorado  being,  in 
fact,  the  same;  that  is,  the  belt  in  which  true  fissure  veins 
occur.  Gneiss,  interstratified  by  veins  of  porphyry,  granite, 
and  other  metamorphic  rocks,  is  the  country  rock  of  the 
district,  which  in  this  case  seems  to  be  perfectly  riddled  with 
mineral-bearing  veins,  which  can  readily  be  traced  on  the 
surface  from  a  point  about  half  a  mile  northeast  of  the  Reve- 
nue workings  to  1 J  miles  southwest,  where  the  Montezuma 
district  is  reached,  through  which  the  veins  pass  to  the  St. 
John's  district,  also  to  the  head  of  Deer  Creek,  the  Snake 
and  Hall  Valley. 

THE  CELTIC  MIXE  (No.  7  on  the  map)  was  the  first  cut 
by  the  tunnel  on  which  any  important  work  was  done,  it 
being  deemed  necessary  to  take  advantage  of  its  surface 
shait  and  make  connection  with  the  tunnel  for  ventilation, 
as  well  as  to  develop;  the  vein  being  a  large  and  promising 
one,  and  cut  at  454  feet  in,  this  point  being  240  feet  from 
the  surface.  This  shaft  has  developed  a  vein  from  six  inches 
to  (in  places)  2  J  feet  wide,  the  ore  consisting  of  yellow  and 
grey  copper,  galena,  zinc-blende  and  iron  pyrites.  It  will 
average  about  50  ounces  of  silver  per  ton,  and  when  worked 
can  give  a  large  yield. 

THE  BALTIC  MINE  (No.  10  on  the  map)  has  been  actively 
working  during  the  past  season.  A  roomy  engine-house 
has  been  blasted  out,  and  a  shaft  sunk  120  feet,  and  a  rise 
put  up  123  feet.  From  the  tunnel  levels  have  been  driven 
east  189  feet,  and  west  160  feet;  at  a  point  60  feet  below 
the  tunnell  levels  a  drift  has  been  driven  east  126  feet,  and 
west  71  feet.  The  best  body  of  ore  is  down  below  these 
levels,  being  12  inches  thick  and  very  rich ;  but  a  good  aver- 
age body  of  six  inches  is  visible  through  almost  the  entire 
workings;  and  when  the  120-foot  levels  are  driven  in,  so  as 
to  open  the  best  stopes,  a  production  oi  about  10  tons  is  ex- 
pected, which  will  average  100  to  120  ounces.  The  last  lot 
of  first  class,  which  was  sold  to  Professor  Hill  (seven  tons), 
gave  an  average  of  265  ounces.  To-day  the  Baltic  Mine 
could  not  produce  one-half  of  the  estimated  yield;  but  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  whilst  the  rich  ore  in  the  shaft 
has  been  exposed,  the  drifts  are  not  yet  sufficiently  advanced 
to  enable  stopes  to  be  started,  or  the  mine  in  any  way  to  do 
itself  justice.  It  is  intended  to  sink  the  main  shaft  a  fur- 


32 

ther  distance  of  340  feet,  and  connect  it  with  a  second  tun- 
nel from  the  Geneva  basin,  which  would  work,  drain  and 
ventilate  the  whole  property,  and  give  the  mine  a  "back" 
of  about  800  feet,  and  the  Revenue  one  of  900. 

The  ore  from  the  mine  is  particularly  clean,  and  free  from 
spar  and  gangue,  and  consists  of  iron  pyrites,  generally  en- 
closing a  broad  streak  of  grey  copper  quartz,  sprinkled  lib- 
erally with  brittle  silver  and  occasional  small  streaks  of 
galena  or  blende.  On  the  surface  a  shaft  has  been  sunk  for 
35  feet,  and  bismuth,  silver,  galena  aud  grey  copper  met 
with  in  separate  streaks.  The  crevice  is  large  and  well  de- 
fined, and  unmistakably  a  true  fissure. 

THE  REVENUE  MINE  (No.  12  on  the  Plan)  is  the  next  on 
which  important  work  has  been  done,  and  is  the  mother 
vein  of  the  district.  When  first  struck,  it  was  a  narrow  and 
unimportant  looking  streak,  but  after  a  raise  nad  been  put 
up  some  30  feet,  a  large  body  of  ore  was  struck.  At  the 
point  of  intersection  with  the  tunnel  the  vein  was  888  feet 
in,  and  400  feet  from  the  surface.  The  "rise"  has  now  been 
put  up  70  feet  and  is  intended  to  connect  with  the  180-foot 
shaft  of  the  upper  workings.  This  will  probably  be  done 
in  the  early  spring  of  1884,  which  will  at  once  give  a  ready 
and  cheap  access  to  the  large  bodies  of  ore  left  standing  in 
the  "  Upper  Mine,"  and  largely  increase  the  daily  yield. 
A  drift  is  now  being  driven  west  from  the  Revenue  rise, 
and  a  very  good  body  of  ore  struck,  a  sample  from  which, 
lately  assayed,  is  said  to  have  given  1,260  ounces  per  ton. 
The  average  of  the  mine  has  been  about  75  ounces,  and 
yields  about  a  ton  to  the  fathom.  The  ore  is  chiefly  grey 
copper  and  galena,  mixed  with  heavy  spar  and  some  little 
blende,  with  iron  and  copper  pyrites.  The  vein  matter  ex- 
tends to  12  to  14  feet,  and  the  lode  is  almost  perpendicular, 
all  the  others  pitching  in  a  greater  or  less  angle  in  towards  it. 
It  is  my  opinion  that  at  greater  depths  those  lodes  will  come 
together  and  form  one  large  body,  in  which  case  the  ex- 
penses of  running  would  be  decreased  and  the  yield  increased. 
The  vein  which  runs  along  the  ridge  of  the  mountain  has 
been  opened  from  the  surface  by  three  shafts,  180,  120,  70 
feet  deep,  which  have  been  connected  with  levels  driven  on 
the  lode,  and  exposing  a  strong  and  valuable  vein  for  a  dis- 
tance of  about  300  feet.  Part  of  this  ground  is  now  leased 
out,  the  men  making  good  pay,  though  they  have  to  pack 


33 

the  ore  to  Georgetown  (23  miles  by  trail),  pay  all  expenses 
and  a  royalty  to  the  company  of  25  per  cent.  Large  board- 
ing houses  and  ore-sheds  have  been  constructed  at  the  mouth 
of  the  tunnel,  and  others,  together  with  the  company's  of- 
fices on  the  plateau  below,  from  which  the  lower  tunnel  is 
to  start.  The  furnace- house,  saw-mills,  general  offices  and 
stores  have  recently  been  constructed  in  the  valley  below, 
where  ample  supplies  of  timber  and  iron  ore  beds  have  been 
secured. 

The  other  veins  belonging  to  the  company  on  the  Atlantic 
slope,  which  have  already  been|(or  will  be)  cut  by  the  tunnel, 
are  the  "Kepublic,"  "Gaelic,"  "Adriatic,"  "Belgic,"  "Oce- 
anic," "Dramatic,"  "Comic,"  and  part  of  the  "Perry  Hunt," 
and  u  Congress." 

THE  LEVIATHAN  TUNNEL,  belonging  to  Detroit  and  Bal- 
timore parties,  is  situated  about  900  feet  southwest  of  the 
Brittanic  Tunnel,  and  has  been  driven  in  800  feet,  inter- 
secting several  promising  lodes.  The  latest  cut  is  one  show- 
ing 15  inches  of  ore,  with  100  ounces  per  ton,  chiefly  iron 
pyrites.  A  large  quantity  of  ore  may  be  mined  here  next 
season.  About  a  mile  west  of  the  Brittanic  Tunnel,  and  in 
the  horse-shoe  adjacent  to  Montezuma  district,  are  a  num 
ber  of  important  veins,  the  most  prominent  of  which  is  the 
''  Colorado,"  owned  chiefly  in  London.  A  large  sum  has 
been  expended  in  the  development  of  this  property.  A 
shaft  has  been  sunk  about  70  feet,  and  intersected  by  a 
cross-cut  tunnel  about  120  feet,  and  drifts  run  out  northeast 
and  southwest  on  the  vein  for  some  200  feet — a  short  upper 
drift,  some  40  feet.  Here  a  large  body  of  ore  has  been  ex- 
posed, chiefly  galena,  carrying  from  55  to  60  ounces  per 
ton  ;  but,  owing  to  the  difficulty  and  expense  hitherto  ex- 
perienced in  packing  the  ore  to  market,  the  mine  has  been 
remaining  idle  for  the  past  year. 

A  tunnel  has  been  started  below,  and  driven  in  about 
150  feet,  which  will,  when  completed,  give  a  back  of  at 
least  350  feet,  and  make  the  ore  to  be  mined  much  more 
cheaply.  Like  the  whole  of  the  Kevenue  property,  this 
mine  is  secured  by  a  United  States  patent.  Other  more 
prominent  mines  in  the  immediate  vicinity  may  be  enu- 
merated as  follows  :  The  Treasure  Vault,  Silver  Bell,  Elgin. 
St.  Charles,  Chicago,  Silver  Glen,  Naval,  Gilman  (extension 
of  the  Colorado),  Eagle  Bird,  Bob  Tail,  Queen,  Modoc, 


34 

Santa  Fe,  Anglo-Saxon,  Sherman,  Mary  Anne,  A.  V.  Sill, 
Comstock,  Victoria,  Minnie,  May  Flower,  America,  York 
Town,  Lexington,  Centennial,  Casino,  Elendale,  Tainburg, 
Corkingdale,  Joe  Lee,  Perry  Hunt,  Congress,  Star,  Green, 
Blue,  etc.,  etc.  Of  these,  besides  the  Colorado,  the  Star, 
Silver  Bell,  Gilman,  Green,  Treasure  Yault,  and  one  or  two 
others,  have  had  a  considerable  amount  of  work  done,  and 
show,  as  do  indeed  most  of  the  others,  good  bodies  of  ore  ; 
but  the  high  rates  of  freight  hitherto  prevalent  have,  in 
most  cases,  checked  both  development  and  production,  so 
that  the  whole  district  may  be  said  to  be  in  its  infancy. 
The  completion  of  the  wagon  road,  built  by  the  Revenue 
Company  to  Grant,  will  stimulate  work  not  a  little ;  but 
with  the  facilities  afforded  by  railroad  communication,  it  is 
believed  that  the  whole  district  must  rapidly  assume  the 
position  nature  has  given  it  every  chance  of  getting — 
namely,  one  of  the  surest  and  largest  producing  districts  of 
Colorado.  In  conclusion,  I  would  again  briefly  refer  to 
the  Revenue  Company's  property.  It  is,  beyond  all  ques- 
tion, a  very  valuable  one,  the  true  fissure  character  and 
richness  of  the  veins  being  beyond  all  question.  The  rich 
ore  exposed  in  the  Baltic  shaft  will  be  available  at  a  mini- 
mum cost  when  the  drifts  below  (now  in  progress)  are  push- 
ed further  in,  and  the  stopes  opened.  This  work  is  now 
rapidly  progressing,  and  when  these  stopes  are  opened,  and 
when,  in  the  Revenue  Mine,  the  connection  between  the 
70-foot  rise  and  the  180-foot  shaft  has  been  made,  the  gene- 
ral production — which  to-day,  by  careful  calculation,  is  es- 
timated to  be  from  5  to  7  tons  per  diem — would  be  con- 
siderably more  than  doubled  ;  whilst,  when  the  lower  tun- 
nel intersects  the  veins  on  the  900-foot  level,  and  the  Ger- 
manic Tunnel,  cutting  the  surface  workings  near  the  north- 
east boundary,  and  connected  with  them  by  the  extension 
of  the  present  levels,  enables  the  whole  of  the  upper  work- 
ings to  be  brought  into  play,  discharging  their  ore  by  the 
main  shaft  to  the  900-foot  level,  the  product  of  these  mines 
daily  may  be  confidently  estimated  as  second  to  but  very 
few  indeed  in  the  State.  From  my  personal  examinations 
of  the  Geneva  and  St.  John's  Mines,  together  with  the  re- 
ports I  have  heard  of  the  adjacent  districts  of  Montezuraa, 
Deer  Creek,  and  the  head  waters  of  the  Snake  River,  and 
with  the  knowledge  gained  by  the  purchase  and  smelting  of 
many  tons  of  ore  from  these  and  surrounding  districts,  I 


35 

believe  a  daily  production  of  100  tons  is  the  very  least  that 
can  be  estimated  ;  and  that  these  veins  will  be  permanent 
producers,  in  contradistinction  to  those  of  deposit  forma- 
tions, is  also  beyond  doubt.  The  broad  rule,  too,  of  rich- 
ness increasing  with  depth  (which  is  not  always  a  safe  one 
to  base  estimates  on)  seems,  in  the  case  of  the  Revenue 
Group,  to  be  substantially  borne  out ;  ior  by  far  the  rich- 
est ore  yet  struck  is  in  the  deepest  workings,  the  body  lately 
struck  60  feet  below  the  tunnel  level  (extending  to  120  feet 
to  the  bottom  of  the  shaft)  assaying,  the  superintendent  in- 
forms me,  as  high  as  from  2,000  to  3,000  ounces  per  ton. 

Explanatory  of  the  above  report,  I  herewith  forward  the 
longitudinal  Plan  of  Britannic  Tunnel,  showing  the  va- 
rious veins  hitherto  struck  ;  Section  of  the  Revenue  Moun- 
tain, showing  the  course  of  said  lodes,  also  the  points  of 
intersection  by  Revenue  Tunnel,  and  the  line  of  proposed 
lower  tunnel ;  Section  of  Baltic  Mine,  showing  ground  al- 
ready opened  and  that  stoped  out  up  to  date. 

JANUARY,  1882. 


